1. Field of the Invention
This patent application relates to a massage apparatus and method which employs a rod and/or stones in performing massage therapy with clients. More specifically this patent application relates to a massage apparatus and method which incorporates a specially designed rod with removable attachments and the use of stones which can be inserted onto the rod or used individually. The stones can further be used to conduct a cold and/or hot stone massage.
2. Background
Traditional hot stone massage therapy employs large, flat stones which are heated in a hot water bath. The stones are then extracted from the bath and rubbed on a patient's back or limbs. Traditional hot stone massage has a number of limitations. First, there is a potential for burns to both the massage therapist as well as the patient. Patient burns also raise the specter of potential lawsuits. Indeed, there have been specific instances of patient burns from hot stone massage before the courts. Second, the stones are relatively thin and flat. During a massage, one surface is housed in the hand of the therapist while the opposite surface contacts the body of the patient. All of this contact causes the stones to quickly cool thereby requiring exchanging of the stones to maintain proper heat. However, exchanging stones presents its own drawbacks. First, the stones are in a hot water bath making it difficult and dangerous to extract stones from the bath. Second, massage oils are frequently used in conjunction with the hot stones. The oil/water mixture causes the stones to become very slippery. The slippery stones are difficult to control and only superficial treatment can be provided. The too hot, slippery stones do not allow for deep tissue massage. Finally, cooling of the stones and their constant exchanging requires a large number of stones to be prepared causing hot stone massage to be labor intensive, particularly when cleaning the stones between uses to ensure that there is no bacterial buildup on the stones.
An alternative massage technique utilizes a bamboo rod where the bamboo rod is designed to work on various parts of the body to maximize leverage and gravity with sliding, rolling, kneading, pivoting, levering, tapping and friction techniques. The bamboo rod allows a therapist to provide greater pressure to the client permitting a deeper massage. Further, the use of the rod reduces the amount of stress of the wrists and thumbs of the therapist, thereby extending a therapist's career. However, there are significant drawbacks to a massage performed solely with a bamboo rod. First, rolling the rod along the back can impact on the spine and cause the patient pain. Second, if oil is used in conjunction with the bamboo, the surface of the rod becomes slippery, negatively impacting the amount of pressure that can be applied to the body. Last, although a rod is used, the massage therapist is still required to use a great deal of force to conduct the massage. This required force tires the therapist and can lead to injury or a shortened career. Importantly, deep tissue or acupressure massage is not possible with existing bamboo rods as these rods have flat ends perpendicular to the long axis of the rod. These flat ends present sharps edges unsuitable for use in massage.
Thus, it is readily apparent that there is a long-felt need for a massage apparatus which permits a massage therapist to perform both hot stone massage and bamboo massage without the need for oils or lubricants. More particularly, there is a need for a massage apparatus which allows for hot stone massage without injuring either the therapist or the patient while also allowing for bamboo massage with increase leverage and pressure thereby providing deeper massage without overly stressing the therapist.